Not sure about that.
Circus skills had a big resurgence over the last twenty years or so; not just Cirque de Soleil.
Woodford (Australia’s biggest & best music festival) has two dedicated circus stages running for a week each year. No animal torture, but plenty of juggling, acrobatics, ropewalking, comedy, etc.
There is currently an unprecedented amount of good circus stuff to be seen. It’s just that it’s moved beyond the shallow fetishisation of exotica.
https://woodfordfolkfestival.com/gallery/circus-cabaret.html
